Time Enough
by IronRaven
Summary: Follow on to Winter's Chill. Not everyone has healed. PG-13 becuase someone isn't muzzled. Hints of IxK, maybe KexJC? nothing new, just bug fixes. The end of this is comming soon, I hope! :)
1. Default Chapter

Time Enough (Prologue)   
by IronRaven 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and his team aren't mine. If they were, the action would be a bit more direct. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. That's a good thing. 

This tale starts just a few days after Winter's Chill, and is why that seemed to be cut off so short. 

--- 

It had been several days since Kagome had returned from her time, free of her illness from the future. The village was just recovering from the winter's storm and bitter cold that had marked the young woman's trip back through the well. Several had been injured by the cold, but there was one who's life was already endangered even before the cold... 

Kaede slowly unwrapped the bandages protecting Sango's toes, looking for any signs of frost shadow or blisters on the demon hunter's feet. "They are nearly healed, Sango. Ye should not need to dress these again, but be careful on them until the skin hardens. Curl your toes for me." 

Watching her toes flex, the taiyja grimaced at the pain. _It will probably never really go away, will it?_ Sighing, the woman closed her eyes, _What's another scar?_

"They will pain ye for some time, but so long as they are kept warm they shall not be too much of a hindrance, even for one with as active a life as yours." Pausing to cough, the old miko drank from a bowl of tea, before handing over a pair of thin tabi. "Silk. They belonged to Kikyou; tell Inuyasha not who's they were. Wear them under your normal ones, they will protect you from cold and rubbing, until the healing is complete." 

Thank you, Kaede-sama. I will." Glancing at the fire, the warrior's right hand softly curled into a fist. "Houshi-sama's hand, will his fingers..." 

"Oh, yes, child. Of that, I have no doubts. His fingers will be fine, he will want gloves if he is helping to tend Hiro-san's roof, as he said." Turning her eye to study the slayer with a grin, Kaede lowered her voice, "And why would ye be worried about his fingers? He does have nice hands, doesn't he?" 

The old woman's chuckle only made the oft-groped hunter blush harder, but the laughter soon turned into hard, hacking coughs, leaving the healer winded. 

"Kaede-sama? Are you alright?" 

--- Author's notes:  
OK, maybe Kaede was a little OOC, but maybe she wasn't. :) Do we ever see her when there isn't a crisis happening? Besides, holy people are supposed to be match makers. 


	2. Time Enough Chapter 1

Time Enough (Chapter 1)   
by Iron Raven 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. 

--- 

Resting her hand on her mentor's forehead, Kagome shook her head. "You are running a fever. Shippou, get my first aid kit from my pack." Sitting back on her heels, the young miko rubbed her temples gently. 

"Kagome, is this what yea had?" 

"I can't tell, I'm not a doctor. But you are burning up. Have you been dizzy, nauseous?" Turning to take the kit from the kit (AN: sorry, I've been wanting to say that), Kagome pulled out the thermometer she had been carrying now for over year. She unwrapped it, absorbing Kaede's nod in silence. The older woman's cough had kept her from speaking. "Don't bite this. It will tell me how hot you really are, it just needs to sit under your tongue for a bit." 

Kaede took the slender glass rod, holding it her mouth, although she was unsure of how it could tell anything. But like so many of the things Kagome's time produced, it spoke to the girl, who was slowly counting. _Such a strange girl. But she has so many untapped talents. _

Reaching for the thermometer, Kagome looked at, shaking her head. "Just under thirty-eight." 

"Kagome? Is that bad?" Shippou was watching, not knowing for sure, but from Kagome's expression, he was afraid he knew the answer. 

"Not terribly bad, but not normal, either." 

"Yea say that this is a common illness in your time, child. Do the healers have a cure for it?" 

"Not really. Just keep you warm, rested, and get fluids, and your body will fight it. The willow bark tea will help, and so will the things I brought." Standing and moving to her pack, Kagome dug out several bottle and packages. "That's really all we know how to do." 

_So much for yea and your magic- even I know that for winter sickness._

--- 

The night passed quietly with Kagome staying in the past to sleep. With Miroku and Sango's injuries, there was no shard hunting to be done, so she had been jumping between her times each night, but that night she stayed. Kaede had slept fitfully, her dreams stirred by her fever, but her cough silenced by something from the future that the old woman described as tasting worse than "broiled toad demon". 

The morning also brought another temperature check. "Keade-sama, are you feeling any better?" Miroku gently wiped the old woman's brow with a damp cloth, hoping it would sooth the headache that forced her to close her eyes to the light. Kaede's grunt at shaking her head spoke more than any words. 

"Thirty-nine even. Kaede, if this doesn't start to drop, I'm going to be scared..." 

"Feh! I've already buried her once, wench, and she didn't stay down. Old hag is too stubborn tooOMPH!" As was frequently the case, Inuyasha did not hear Kagome's 'Sit boy', over his own voice, but the cursed beads at his neck did. Instead, he heard the distinctive thunk of own forehead finding something solid, in this case the floor as his thoughts finished his sentence, "too stubborn to die." 

"Don't you dare talk about burying anyone, Inuyasha!" 

"Kagome, if it my time, then it is, and there is nothing yea can do to stop it. I'm an old woman, with 58 summers in my past." Cut off by another spasm of coughing, the old woman's strength left her. She silently slid back into slumber. 

--- 

Through the day, the six friend's sat with their mentor. Miroku and Kagome failed to shake their fears as they tried to fill in for Kaede in the village, checking on several cases of frostbite and one new born baby. Even Inuyasha was nearly silent, and no one commented when he carried armloads of wood into the miko's hut. 

Through all of it, Kaede slept fitfully, her face bathed in sweat as the sickness demons burned at her from within. Her tossing was calmed when her brow was bathed with a cool cloth. She seemed most at peace when Shippou sat at her side, holding her work hardened, age worn hand in both of his, the boy silent, fighting his own thoughts. But as the sun lowered in the sky, only a hands breath from the snow covered land, she could not be roused. 

--- 

Author's notes:   
For the Celsius challenged, normally body temperature (98.6F) is about 37 degrees C. 39C is about 102 degrees F. Warm enough to be worrisome in the very old or very young. 

You have to admit, roast Jaken would probably be pretty bad. 


	3. Time Enough Chapter 2

Time Enough (Chapter 2)   
by Iron Raven 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. 

Thanks to Shadowspinner to pointing out a major oops on my part. I must have been really tired when I read this to miss that screw up. So, revised. 

When we last checked our patient, Kaede was so feverish that she could not be roused, and it nearly sunset. 

--- 

Sitting on the steps to Keade's hut, Miroku stared hard into the woods, looking for an answer, when he heard a naturally near silent footstep behind him. "Is she awake, Inuyasha?" 

"Feh." 

_That one means 'no'._ "And tonight is the new moon." 

"Thanks for reminding me, monk." 

"I didn't mean it like that. You've got enough time to take Kagome and Kaede to the well." Turning his head slightly, looking the hanyou over through the corner of his eye Miroku watched the white ears twitching in thought. He was about to make a comment about having to pump the information from one side to the other, when Inuyasha turned, walking back into the hut's warmth. 

Inside, Sango was tending to a pot of stew that no one was interested in eating, while Kirara and Shippou were curled in a ball, sleeping, both exhausted by worry. Kagome looked up when she felt the clawed hand on her shoulder, pulling her hand from her mentor's. 

Kneeling, Inuyasha pushed Kagome aside, and lifted Kaede in his arms. "Get on, wench, you're going home and your ride is about to leave!" 

"What?! Where are you taking Kaede? You can't send me home!" 

"I can and I am taking you home. You said that this is common in your time. Fine, that means that your people know how to deal with this. Now get on my back and hold on!" 

Mouth working silently, Kagome paused long enough to shrug on her jacket before putting her arms around Inuyasha's neck, careful not to strangle him when he stood. "Why are you doing this?" 

"Because the old bag put the spell on these beads. If she dies, I'm stuck." Legs and back straining slightly, Inuyasha paused long enough to nudge Shippou awake with a foot. "Don't eat my ramen, runt." 

Shouldering his way through the door, Inuyasha stepped out into the dieing sunlight, the sun now a fingerwidth from the horizon. Leaping towards the sun, chasing it, his feet found the first of many treetops. 

"Inuyasha, slow down!" 

"Shut up. The sun will be down about the same time we reach the well!" 

--- 

Blinking from his nap, Shippou looked around, just in time to watch Inuyasha leave, Kagome on his back, and a bundle in his arms. "Huh?" 

Standing from the fire, Sango moved to watch the others leave, standing in the doorway. She nodded to herself, then yelped, shooting her elbow to the side, catching the local pervert square in the chest. Looking down, a hint of malicious humor in her eyes, she watched Miroku rub his sternum painfully. "Are they going where I think they are?" 

Still catching his breath, the dark haired man could only nod. 

"Was that your idea, Houshi-sama?" 

"Yes" At least, Sango and Shippou thought that's what the gurgle meant. 

Looking between them, Shippou's face reflected the confusion and questions in his mind. "Gone where?" 

"To Kagome's time, Shippou. Houshi-sama, when your mind isn't rolling in filth, it is quite wise." Leaning to offer the hentai a hand up, she continued speaking, "We should eat, our bodies need food, and there is nothing we can do. Inuyasha will make it before he become human." 

--- 

Burying her face into Inuyasha's silvery-white mane for warmth, Kagome clung to him, silent with her worries. She knew just how short time was, and was trying to ignore the sunset around her. _Inuyasha, you are the hero, the hero always arrives just in the nick of time. Don't let me down._

Lips pulled back in a fixed, silent snarl, Inuyasha ran towards the setting sun. He could feel himself drawing strength from Kagome's weight, and her fear-laced scent drove him on, pushing his legs harder than he had in years. He could feel the sunset as much as he could feel it. Already, his ears were itching. _I'm not going to make it, am I? Feh, I'm not a weakling human yet!_

Holding Keade's firey form tighter to his chest, the half demon ran into the nearly gone sun, it's rays bathing the land in pinks and reds, casting a warmthless fire over the snow. He heard Kagome's tiny gasp in his ears, and knew what she was seeing. 

_Are his ears are starting to shrink! I can see black in his hair!_ "Faster, Inuyasha!" 

"You think I don't know that, bitch? Shut up and hold on!" 

The last light in the valley touched the top of the Go-Shimboku in time with Inuyasha's foot. With a howl of frustration, he launched himself towards the well as his clawless hands clutched Kaede to his chest. "Kagome, hang on!" 

"Inuyasha!" 

--- 

Author's notes:   
The shrine is the Sunset Shrine. That would tell me that it would be one of the last places in the valley (seems like a valley to me, anyway) that would see the sun. 

hmmm... Think Inuyasha can make the shot? Dog-boy, off the tree, nothing but well... *starts taking bets* 

**Major side note:** Does ANYONE know the date that Highlander was released to theatres in Japan? A thanks in the appropriate fic to the person who can answer that question. *Imagines a very lonely Inuyasha sitting by the well waiting for it to allow Kagome to return after finishing the Jewel. "Who wants to live forever...."* 


	4. Time Enough Chapter 3

Time Enough (Chapter 3)   
by Iron Raven 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. 

Rush hour takes on a new meaning when you have to make it to a well before you turn into a human, and are carrying a rather solid old lady, and a teenager.

--- 

Inuyasha's lungs emptied explosively as he landed on his back, Keade's weight landing atop him. Feeling new and interesting pains in his now human body, the black haired youth sucked air back in. From under his weight, and the old bag's, Inuyasha felt a squirming mass. 

"Gef omff!" 

Rolling Keade's body gently off of his chest, Inuyasha scrambled off of Kagome. She'd been on the bottom of the crash landing at the bottom of Bone Eater's well. The dark haired young man had to fight the urge to smirk at the Kagome-sized hole that had been pressed into the dirt, and that urge died on it's own when he saw a tear of pain in the corner of her eyes. "Are you alright?" 

"I think so. My ribs hurt..." Rubbing her side, tracing where the Tessaiga had been driven into her rib cage, she cringed. Maybe not broken, but defiantly cracked. Kagome had taped the others often enough, but this gave her new respect for Sango and Miroku's abilities to handle pain. 

"Can you move? I know I can't carry both you and Kaede as a human; I'm not even sure if I can carry her." Gently pulling Kagome to her feet, they both looked down at their friend. She had made it with them, and the burning feeling in Inuyasha's throat told him when they were. _I shouldn't have stopped to give Shippou grief. If I had been a minute earlier, I could have gotten all three of us out of here with a single jump._

_I shouldn't have wasted time with my coat. I would have been warm enough with Inuyasha for the time it took to get to the well, then we could have been out of here by now._ Kagome tugged at the ladder hanging down inside the well, a squeak of pain slipping out of mouth to match the one in her ribs. "I can make it, I'm just sore." 

A dubious look on his face, Inuyasha made a choice that made his mouth taste like ashes. He hated his human form. Not only could he not look after himself, but because of it, Kagome was hurt and could get hurt worse, and Kaede could be trapped down here. But he had to try. "You go first, Kagome. If you fall, I can catch you, and if we fall, we won't squash you." 

At his prodding, Kagome started up the chain ladder, thankful that she didn't also have her backpack. Every rung bathed her side in fire. By the time she reached the top, she was coated in sweat. She lay in the dirt at the top of the well for several minutes, panting, her eye closed. _It's broken._

"Oyi, Kagome?" 

"I'm ok, just need to catch my breath." 

"Hmph." Lifting Kaede over his shoulder, Inuyasha slowly started working his way up the ladder, grunting and sweating. This would have been so easy if he was not a hanyou- youkai never have to spend time as humans. "Damn, old woman, you are loosing weight when we get back." 

The clink of the ladder opened Kagome's eyes. As she lay there, breathing, she blinked. Then blinked again. _The anchors are coming loose!_ trying to ignore the pain, she grabbed a rung of the ladder, clinging to it with all her strength. "Inuyasha! Hurry up!" 

Wheezing softly, Inuyasha called back. "Feh! Want me to back down and see if I can do it faster, wench? The old woman is heavier than she looks!" 

When he reached the top, he rolled Kaede as gently as he could over the edge, and clung to the metal rungs, breathing hard, before pulling his body up and over. When he was safely on solid ground, Kagome released the ladder, it's weight pulling it over the edge and into the well with a series of metallic clicks and clangs. Her face was pale and covered in sweat, while her fingers were bleeding from the rough spots on the ladder, and her fight to keep it from collapsing. Her arms felt longer than they should be, even if they looked the right length, and her side had gone numb. 

Brushing the hair from her face, he could feel that her skin was starting to get cold, clammy. He shook her shoulder. "Can you walk? I need you to get the doors. We need to get Kaede inside as soon as we can. She's burning up." 

"Hai. Help me up." Inuyasha pulled her up, holding her gently as she wobbled dizzily for a moment. As Kagome walked, she seemed to gain confidence in her stride. 

_Good, she isn't injured too badly._ As they crossed the frozen courtyard, with it's stone slabs set into the earth, Inuyasha found himself wishing for something on his feet for the first time in his life. The frigid field stone sucked the warmth from his feet, the memory of his recent frostbite bringing the pain to his mind. As they made their way to warmth and light of the house, the door opened, sillouetting Souta and his grandfather. 

"See, Jii-chan, I told you I thought I heard something out here." Souta ran out to the fragment of the party was approaching his home. "Kagome, are you ok? Who's that?" 

"Jii-chan, is the heat turned up in my room? Kaede needs someplace warm, and my room is the warmest." The old man stepped back, his surprise plain on his face. This was Kagome's home, but the old lady in the dark haired young man's arms was a stranger to him, as was the youth, even through his clothes were those of the demon boy. Souta pulled the door closed behind them, remembering to kick of the dampened house slippers to protect the tatami, while the other's quickly moved upstairs. 

Kagome's mother came out of the kitchen, slightly surprised by the noise and commotion. He curiosity was replaced by concern when she saw Kagome's face, drawn, pale, and bathed in sweat despite the cold. "Kagome?" 

"I took the flu back with me, Mama; Kaede is really sick, she hasn't woken up all day. She..." 

"Jii-chan, call Hoono-san, tell him we need him here." 

"But-" 

"But he was your son's friend, he is our doctor. He will come, tell him it is urgent." 

"I tell you he is a demon..." 

"He hasn't poisoned you yet, Jii-chan. Call him, now." 

Watching the drama for a moment, Inuyasha moved to the stairs, painful aware of how heavy Kaede was becoming. Kagome had said to take the old woman to her room. That made sense. It was warm, and the windows showed the familiar shrine and the eternally vigilant grandfather tree, but it had few of the modern gadgets of Kagome's time. It would not be as frightening to Kaede when she woke up. _Not if, Inuyasha?_ Scowling at the voice in his head, Inuyasha snarled within his mind. _No, baka, not 'if', when._

Downstairs, Kagome was being questioned by her mother when the old man hung up the phone. "He'll be here as soon as he can. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be preparing fresh ofuda." 

The two women ignored the semi-senile part of the information, and breathed a sigh of relief at the important part. "Kagome, start at the beginning. You think the old lady has the flu?" 

"Hai. And that's Kaede." 

"And the boy is Inuyasha?" At the nod, the elder Higashuri shook her head. "Do I want to know what happened with his hair and ears?" 

"Nothing, just that time of the month." Mother and daughter looked at each other, Kagome starting to blush at her mother's giggle. An infectious giggle at that, but the mirth became pain. Kagome's yelp of pain brought Inuyasha downstairs almost as fast as if he'd been his normal self. 

"Kagome, are you all right?" 

"Only when I laugh." 

_Can't be that bad if she's joking about it. But this is her first busted rib._ "I put Kaede in your room." 

"Thank you, Inuyasha. Can you help me up the stairs? I want to check on her." 

"Hai" Gently, he put an arm around her, careful not to touch the ribs that must be broken, while also not grabbing something that would get him sat. "I want to bind those ribs. Bandages?" 

"I'll get them." 

"Thank you, Mama. Come on, Inuyasha." _Is what it feels like when I sit him? Gomen._ As they worked their way up the stairs, they had to pause on the landing to let Kagome breath. 

When she reached her room, Kagome insisted on checking on her mentor. Alive, breathing, hot, but no change. Inuyasha kicked the barrel chair from under her makeup table to the bedside. "Sit." 

As she sat down, she had to fight the urge to chuckle. _He probably wishes it worked on me. Then I'd never get home._

"Kagome, lift up your shirt." 

"What? Hentai!" 

"Not like that, I'm not the bouzu." Blushing faintly, he knelt behind her, taking the box of wrap from Mrs. Higashuri, clumsily tearing it open. "You'll be more comfortable if I tape these without your shirt in the way." 

"Oh, sorry." Silently, she pulled up her shirt, shivering as she thought she felt Inuyasha's human eyes roaming her lower back. With practiced hands, he wrapped her lower ribs, binding them tight. 

"They'll still be sore, but at least you can breath easier." Ignoring the little metal clips that were with the bandage, he tied it off at her side. That done, he started to dress her hands. As he did so, she stiffened. 

"What's the matter?" 

"Youkai, inside the gate, moving towards the house." 

"You're sure?" Stepping back, he unsheathed the Tessaiga, scowling at it. _Damnit sword, I'm human to, you know. Can't you protect her when I'm like this?_ He passed the scabbard to her as he started for the stairs. "If they make it through me, I know you know how to use this. Just wack them in the head." 

She nodded as she accepted the instrument of blunt trauma, as the door bell rang. 

"I got it!" Souta's voice echoed through the house, as did the scrape of the front door. 

"Souta, NO!" Inuyasha winced as he leapt down the stairs, his human body not designed for this kind of abuse, or for the speed he needed. 

--- 

Author's notes:   
Hmmm.... Is it just me, or should people not be allowed to open the front door until they are 14? 

And for those trying to keep track of time, that was about an hour, maybe a little more, after sunset. 


	5. Time Enough: Chapter 4

Time Enough (Chapter 3)   
by Iron Raven   
editorial assistance by Lachesis-chan 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. I've got no idea what Mama does, or did, nor what Kagome's Otou-san did. Or even if he is dead. Hopefully we find out some day. 

--- 

Souta opened the door, allowing his father's friend to enter the Higashuri home. "Good evening, Doctor Kitsumori-san." 

"'Kistumori-san'? Souta, what happened to Hoono?" Shrugging off a large, black pack, he started to hand his coat to the smiling boy, his questions were cut off by a shout from upstairs. 

"Souta, NO!" A thump from the stair landing went with that cry, then a dark haired youth, dressed in red, and brandishing a battered katana tumbled into the hallway. "Hold it, you!" 

Dropping his coat and pack to the floor, the short, stocky man pushed Souta behind him. Barely as tall as Kagome, the wild haired man was in his late thirties, and dressed in western style clothes. "I see the problem, Souta, but why not call the police?" 

"What? No! Inuyasha, he's a friend. He's a doctor, a healer." 

"He's a youkai, Souta! Stay out of the way." 

The accused demon sniffed the air. "This hanyou is a friend of your's, Souta?" 

Kagome squirmed her way through the narrow hallway, putting herself in front of Inuyasha. "Hoono? You're a demon?" 

"One quarter kitsune, Kagome. And before you ask, for my entire life. Now, I was told there was an emergency." 

"Wait a minute, who are you?" 

"I am Doctor Kitsumori Hoono. I was a friend of Kagome and Souta's father, and have served as this family's healer for many years. And just who are you to be running around my friend's home with a bared blade?" 

"Inuyasha. I'm-" 

"Your parents have a mean sense of humor, boy. Are you my patient?" 

"No, but-" 

"Fine, I'll talk to you later. Kagome, do you want to explain this to me?" 

"It's Kaede, she's upstairs. She's running a fever, and I can't wake her up." 

Picking up his bag, the doctor followed Kagome past the baffled hanyou, who was pressed up against the wall. As they went upstairs, Inuyasha turned to Souta. 

"Who was that again?" Scowling, the demon boy slumped against the wall, his arms crossed. _I haven't been treated like that since I was a pup._

"That was Hoono-san, our doctor. Only Jii-chan doesn't go to him, says he's a demon." Pausing, the boy seemed to think for a second, before giggling. " Jii-chan was right. Don't worry about his it, Inuyasha, he's always like this when he has a patient. When he isn't working, he's not as brisk." 

--- 

Mama met them at the door, a look of concern on her face. "Is everything OK?" 

"Of course, Kagome's boyfriend is just awfully protective. Is this the patient?" 

"Her name is Kaede. And Inuyasha isn't my boyfriend!" 

"Nauseous? Vomiting?" Setting his pack on the floor, the doctor knelt beside the bed, examining his patient. 

"No. She held everything down last night, she's just been sleeping through the day." 

"Hmmm...." Selecting a thermometer from his back, he slipped it into the old woman's ear, holding it there until it beeped. "39.1. A little warmer than I'd like to see her." 

"She's cooled down some since noon, actually, about a half a degree." Leaning over his shoulder, Kagome watched closely. 

Mama's hand pulled the girl back some. "Hon, you're in his light." 

"How did you get her here? Has she been here the whole time?" 

"No, she was... at her home." _He might be an old friend, but he doesn't need to know about the well._ "Inuyasha carried her here." 

"Really? Why not to the hospital?" 

Mother and daughter exchanged glances as they tried to find an answer to that one. 

"Because she's scared of them." Unable to meet his eye, Kagome ran a hand over her mentor's forehead. "She doesn't trust them." 

Looking form mother to daughter and back again, Hoono simply raised a doubting eyebrow. "I don't like them and I work in one. Try again." 

"Inuyasha came here because he knows he will always be safe here, Hoono." Resting her hand her daughter's shoulder, Kagome's mother continued. "That is why he came here with Kaede." 

_Mama?_ "She's my mentor. She would want me to be there, or Inuyasha. She's nervous around machines and everything, and she would need someone there who she knew." 

Sighing, the hanyou healer's shoulder's slumped. "And if you can't be there, it has to be Inuyasha, and he won't go someplace he isn't safe. And at first light tomorrow, that won't be any place where he can be seen." 

"Exactly." 

Shaking his head, looking from mother to daughter, Kitsumori smiled softly. "On a couple of conditions. One, when I listen to her breathing, I'm happy with it. Two, she wakes up by noon tomorrow, or I'm taking her to a hospital." Watching Kagome's happy expression, he ticked off his fingers. "Three, I'll be back tomorrow to check on her, before I go on duty. Four, I can take some blood for testing. And five, your mother has to show me still remembers how to place an IV." 

"I may not have worked the floor as a nurse since Kagome was born, but I haven't forgotten. Simple saline?" 

"Yes, to keep her hydrated. But first, I want to listen to her breath." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a stethoscope. 

--- 

"I've really done all I can do here. I wish you'd let me put her in a hospital." Standing at the doorway, Kitsumori pulled on his coat. "Call me if there is any change. Call me in the morning, change or no change." 

"Hoono, don't worry, we will." Mrs. Higashuri hugged her friend gently. She released him, he turned to face Kagome. 

"Kagome, if those ribs bother you at all, let me look at them. Your friend might not look like much, but he knows about taping ribs." 

"Inuyasha really is a good guy. He's never failed me when I needed him." _Unless Kikyou is around._ "People just need to get off his back long enough to see it." 

"Maybe. In that case, I'm sorry. People swinging around toad stickers in my friends' homes just make me nervous, that's all. Speaking of dog boy, where is he, I wanted to talk to him." 

"He's outside, why?" 

"Just demon stuff." Grinning playfully, he ruffled Kagome's hair. "Don't worry, I'm not going to yell at him, I just want to ask a few questions, make sure he's ok. There aren't a lot of us left, you know. I've never seen him, and I thought I knew most of the demons in the Tokyo area." 

As he stepped out into the chilly night, the demon doctor pulled his jacket around himself for warmth. "Inuyasha? Where are you?" 

"What do you want, Kitsumori?" The voice came from the ancient tree by the well house. Old and powerful, Hoono could feel it's strength as he approached. Curled in a ball at it's base, the black haired youth shivered. 

"Nothing, really. Just to talk." Crouching down, he ran an practiced eye over Inuyasha. _Eyes clear. Breathing fine. Good colour. Nails clean. Good physical build, no signs of malnutrition or addiction. _ "Your okaa-san should be fine." 

"What? Oh, you mean the old bag!" Laughing loudly, Inuyasha temporarily forgot the cold. "Kaede-babaa ain't my mother." 

"Oh. I just assumed, since you brought her here, that she was." Pausing to flick a dark lock of errant hair out of his way, Hoono tried to think of something to say. "It must be hard going through life named after that mad dog." 

"What do you mean?" 

Blinking in surprise, Kitsumori-san looked over the youth. "I thought every demon kid learned the Legend of Inuyasha from their parents." 

"I'm an orphan." 

"Oh. I'm sorry. Let's see, the basics.... Inuyasha was a dog demon who died about 500 years ago. A powerful warrior, he carried a sword named Tensaiga in battle, capable of taking a thousand lives with a single slash. His greatest weakness was the women he loved. Two sisters, both miko. The older one was dignified, quiet and reserved, but very powerful in her magics. The younger one was more passionate, more open with her heart, and a gifted peacemaker, but not quiet as powerful a miko as her sister. They both were stubborn and filled with pride, and both loved Inuyasha. They would quarrel with each other over him, and pull him away on this quest or that one, trying to woo him. He never did decide. 

One day, after seeing Inuyasha and her older sister kissing, the younger one ran into the forest, grief-stricken. Inuyasha ran after her, with the elder sister slowly falling behind him as he ran. His calls spurred the girl to run faster, her heart broken. When he caught up with her, she stood on the edge of a cliff, contemplating the jump. 

"Inuyasha talked with her, slowly, gently. He coaxed her back from the edge, and held her in his arms. He knew then which one he truly loved more. As he told her, the elder sister left the trees. She demanded that the younger sister go back to their village, and leave her to take care of Inuyasha. Outraged, the younger sister screamed back that the elder was nothing but a shallow, greedy woman who only wanted Inuyasha as a prize. The elder screamed back, calling her sister a silly girl, a mere child, who could never love a great leader such as Inuyasha. 

"Finally, words came to blows, Inuyasha standing there, his hands by his sides, shouting at them. The two miko rolled in the dirt, clawing at each other's faces, trying to blast each other with their magic, and cursing each other for every rotten thing they'd ever done to the other. The elder finally got her feet up, into the belly of her sister, and pushed. Horrified, Inuyasha watched the smaller miko, his true love, be thrown back, over the edge of the cliff. He ran to her, and grabbed her wrist, his fingers clenched around her arm. The elder sister joined him, taking the younger's other hand in her own. But it was not enough- they both watched, horrified as the smaller girl's hands slid through theirs. Inuyasha's last lunge to try to grab his love's hand allowed his fingers to brush her's one last time, and she fell calling his name, telling him she loved him. But in his haste, it also knocked the elder girl off balance. Inuyasha grabbed at her ankle, but he was too late. 

"He leapt, landing unhurt, as he was demon. But both miko lay there, dead, their bodies broken and twisted by the fall. Sobbing, he turned from one body to the other, trying to make sense of the tragedy. If only he had could have seen who his true love really was, the younger one living in her sister's shadow, earlier, they both would be alive. Turning his rage on himself, he shattered his sword and clawed at his own body. As his anger grew, he slid into to his true form, a mighty dog with white hair and blazing red eyes, poison and fire for breath. A mindless monster, he rampaged for ten days, killing hundreds, leveling a few score of villages. In the end, he was stopped by a friend, the last of the Taijya, a warrior named Miroku. But the damage was done. Inuyasha was dead, the sisters were dead, dozens of people slaughtered. 

"We tell this tale so that we remember that human lives are shorter than our own, but our hearts are just as quick to love. When dealing with mortals, don't hesitate with your feelings, because if you do, they will be gone before you can tell them." 

As Dr. Kitsumori rose from his crouch, his blue eyes met the staring ones of the boy before him. "Waving that sword around, wearing old fashioned clothes, some might wonder if you think you are the original Inuyasha. I'm not telling you to stay away from Kagome; I think it would break her heart if you left. I just wanted to let you know that she is my friend's daughter, and I don't want to see her crying over one of us demons. Her heart is as strong as yours is, but it will break just as easily. If you love her, tell her; if you don't love her, tell her. Just don't hurt her." 

"I... I won't." _Oh, Kami, please, don't let it end like that._

"Good. I'll hold you to that, one hanyou to another." 

Looking down at his hands, his sword cradled in his lap, Inuyasha swallowed hard, trying to tell himself he wasn't afraid of the question he had to ask. "Kitsumori-san, that story, is it true?" 

"No one knows, it's a legend, just like those about Midoriko, or Shippou the Wanderer. Some people tell it that the elder sister was pushed, but I don't like that version very much. But any way it is told, both girls were dead, and Inuyasha's rampage was stopped by his friend, because he could see what was in his own heart." Dr. Kitsumori Hoono turned, and started walking towards the entrance to the shrine grounds, and the lit street beyond. "Go inside, Inuyasha. It's going to be cold tonight, I don't want to be called back here in the morning to deal with a hanyou who is pissed off because his feet got frostbitten again, running about in the snow with them bare." 

As the kitsune hanyou walked off into the night, Inuyasha could only stare. _Is that my fate? Is that my legacy? Did I kill Kagome and Kikyou? Did I fail them that badly?_ Standing up, the part of Inuyasha's mind that was logical guided him inside. 

_'Again?'_ "How the hell did he know about my feet?" Inuyasha whirled and ran to the gate. But when he looked out, there was no sign of the other part-demon. 

--- 

Author's notes:   
A rare gift, knowing one's future. Change the future, and risk destroying it. Or risk setting it right. Act or not act. Yes, foreknowledge is a rare, but weighty gift. Is it only a legend, spawned by rumors half heard and stories half remembered? Or an accurate telling, told perhaps by the foster son of the younger miko? But is not the Tensaiga, the sword of Lord Sesshomaru, gifted with the spirit of a healer? And Miroku is a monk, not a Taijya; but the woman he fears loving is the last of the hunters. And no mention of the Shikon no Tama. What is the truth? And do you gamble if you do not know for sure? Poor Inuyasha. 

Aren't YOU glad you don't know your future? 


	6. Yet another note, but more than that

This is just a random little note, to apologize to my loyal fans for the delay in getting the last chapter posted. I'm sorry it felt rough, unfinished. I just wrote myself into a corner with it. 

So, with a bamph and a flash, I'm out of the corner. The next chapter will be better, I promise. Shippou has a Grandmother in Kaede. Maybe he needs a Jii-chan? 

Taking votes: Who wants some Jii-chan/Kaede? 

*giggling madly, not caring how undignified it looks for a man my size, and with my training, to giggle like a schoolgirl* 

Closing the door behind himself, Kitsumori Hoono slid his coat off. As it left his form, his skin seemed to dance for a moment, then glow softly. In his place, in his clothes, stood a red-haired man with what could only be called a tail sticking out of his pants. 

Slipping on a pair of house slippers, Hoono pulled a book from a shelf over a low desk, and sat. From within the desk, he pulled out an antique fountain pen. Opening it to a blank page, he ran the end of his pen over his lips for a moment, then started to write. 

_It's been a while since I wrote in you, journal. Sorry, just haven't had much going on. Kami, did that change tonight._

_Tonight, I had the greatest challenge yet of my illusions. I'm just glad they came tonight. Without the full moon, I'm not sure if it could have worked. In the morning, I will be calling my uncle, tell him the spell works on her._

_Yes, old friend. THEY came tonight! Obaachan will live! At least I think so- they will call me if there is any change. Oh, I want her to live, I want her to live. I cried so much when she died._

_And I told otou-san the story we developed, to try to get him to think. They won't die like that, not now. He's thinking, he will reach the right conclusions. I just hope the story didn't scare him too much. I slipped- I let out that I knew about his feet. If anyone asks, I'll tell them that I could tell from how he was holding them._

_He was just like I remembered. And I haven't seen Okaa-san in over a year, but she looks good. The Quest is helping her recover from her grief, and she's in better shape than she would be here. The only thing is that I seem to remember that they were taller. But I'm as tall as she is now. I never really thought of her as short._

_Oh, how I wanted to hug them, and tell them. But I can't. They can't know. Uncle and I agreed on that years ago._

Jumping slightly, he looked at the delicate, taloned hand on his shoulder. Leaning back, Hoono looked up into the jade eyes of his mate. His wife. He twitched his tail to curl with her's as raised her knuckles to his lips. Without a thought, he switched to English, one of his many languages, and his mate's native tongue. "Hon, it was them." 

"Where they everything you remembered?" 

"For the most part. I just can't shake the thought that they were taller." 

"You were a lot younger when they died." Chuckling, pulling him to his feet, she took his hands in her's. "Come on, let's go to bed." 

"I'm too excited to sleep." 

Smiling, the lady fox looked at her mate, shaking her head slightly. "Did I say anything about sleep? You accomplished a miracle tonight, you reached back five hundred years and saved a life, maybe even seven. I've never shared a night with a god before, Shippou, and I'm not going to waste the chance." 

--- 

Author's note:   
**Please** do **NOT** comment on the second part. I want it to be a surprise for anyone who actually looks for it. Any comments can be made in private at ironshippo@softhome.net. Thank you, everyone who goes with my request. And a pox upon the house of the first person who makes a public review. 

However, I do want your votes on Kaede and Jii-chan. I think they would make a great couple, but I'm also a little crazy. 


	7. Time Enough: Chapter 5

Time Enough (Chapter 4)   
by Iron Raven 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. I've got no idea what Mama does, or did, nor what Kagome's Otou-san did. Or even if he is dead. Hopefully we find out some day. 

--- 

Breathing easily, slowly, Kaede slumbered on. Kagome's blankets were pulled up under her chin, and the old woman looked at ease for the first time in several days. Beside the bed, two teens slumbered. 

Having finally drifted off to sleep, Kagome leaned against Inuyasha, their long, dark hair mixing as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her dreams were tangled, involving the past. A happier, simpler time, before her father died, before beginning her quest. A happy, blissfully ignorant life, without demons and madmen, and where a jewel was just a piece of decoration. 

The new moon had left Inuyasha' hair as dark as the moonless night sky. Within, he dreamed, after a fashion, but he was talking with other versions of himself in those dreams. Debating, arguing, about how he was remembered by the demons of Kagome's time. A legacy that he did not enjoy, and caused him to hug his blade closer to himself than normal. The dog of his youkai blood, the human of his mother's family, they shouted and screamed at each other, battering at the tender ears of his true self in his dream plane. 

On the bed, Kaede's brow wrinkled slightly. _I'm awake. Where am I?_ Listening to the bustle of traffic and suburban life, she could only identify a tiny number of the sounds that reached her ears._This is not my hut. This is not my village!_ Focusing on her breathing, forcing herself to remain calm, Kaede slowly took personal inventory. 

_Breathing a little rough, but I don't need to cough as bad._ A hack of air escaped her lungs. _I lied. A little dizzy, maybe feverish. I'm dressed. Covered by blankets, on something soft- some kind of bed? I'm not tied up. My arm is a little sore, and it feels like something is in it. In it!_ Hearing her pulse start to quicken, Kaede corrected herself. _Control yourself. Yea are a miko, a shrine priestess, not some peasant girl who will loose her senses in the face of a simple demon. There are two others breathing here with me, sound like they are asleep._

Opening her eye, Kaede looked up at a ceiling of painted... something. _Plaster?_ The walls were like it, and strange tapestries and painting hung on them. Turning her head, she could see a strange looking bag of the 'plastic' stuff that Kagome used, hanging from the bed's extended leg. A luxurious bed, of a noble, not a simple futon. As she slowly moved the sore arm, she saw that the clear tube from the bag ran under the covers, and along her arm. She could fell where it entered her arm, held in place by the 'tape' stuff that Kagome used. The realization that something was stuck in her arm filled her with fear, her heart starting to pound. _That is not natural. What were they doing? Leave it in, yea foolish old woman, don't try to pull it out. Yea know not how it will bleed._

At the edge of the bed, two heads slumped together, black hair twisting and joining. _That one._ Using her elbow, she nudged the taller of the two heads, the one with a hint of a red collar around the neck. "Inuyasha?" 

Jostled from his own fears, Inuyasha's head snapped up as he jumped. His sudden movement's woke Kagome, and they both turned at the same time. "Hey, old woman. You aren't dead." 

Ignoring her companions failed attempt at compassion, Kagome smiled for the first time in half a day. "Kaede!" 

"Nay, Inuyasha, yea shalt not be burying me quite yet. Am I in your time, Kagome?" 

"Yes." Kagome tried not to flinch as she remembered one of the first rules of healing. _Only with their permission._ "I'm sorry, we should have asked, but you wouldn't wake up. It was all we could think of." 

"It is alright, child, even if it does smell funny." Kaede closed her eye, leaning back into the pillow. 

Leaning closer, Inuyasha smirked at Kagome as he whispered, "Told you it stank." 

As Kaede slide her arm free, she reopened her eye. "Kagome, please tell me, what did yea put in my arm?" 

"An IV. We needed to keep you hydrated." 

"Eye-vee?" 

Kagome tucked the old woman's arm back under the blankets as Inuyasha spoke. "Kagome explained it to me. She say's it's a hollow needle, like a mosquito's, but it's putting fluids back into you." 

While fundamentally correct, the temporarily human's words were not reassuring. Keade's eye grew wide as she stared at her arm. "In. To my blood? Are yea sure it is safe?" 

Resting one soothing hand on her mentor's arm, the other on her forehead, Kagome smiled reassuringly. "So long as it is done right, perfectly safe. My mother used to do these every day, before I was born, and the first was put in by the doctor who took care of me since I was born." _I just wish I'd known he was demon before now._

"She is a healer?" Yawning, Kaede leaned back into the pillow. "I thought yea knew the some of the art already." 

"Not for a long time, but my Outo was a healer until he died." Opening the window shade just a little, Kagome wanted to show Kaede see the Go-Shimboku still standing. When she turned around, the old healer had drifted back to sleep. 

--- 

Kaede awoke, this time to the feel of a hand on her forehead, stroking a lock of hair that had escaped from the bun. 

"Who? Who are yea?" 

"Good morning, Kaede-sama, it is good to see that you are awake. I am Kagome's mother." The calming smile, the chin. They were the same. "Your IV is nearly empty, and I don't have another one, so I'll need to take out the needle." 

Trying to remain calm, Kaede successfully kept the hint of fear out of her voice. "What does that involve?" 

"Oh, not much. Just sliding it out, and pressing a bit of gauze there to stop the bleeding. It might sting a bit, but nothing too bad. And Kagome will be right up with breakfast." 

"Where is Inuyasha?" Seeing the future in full light for the first time, Kaede was surprised at the size. There were large torches like the little one Kagome used, set into the ceiling, while many of Kagome's oddly designed folding scrolls sat on a large bench with many drawers on it. _Amazing._

"He went back to your time, to tell everyone you were alright. He said something about 'one damn fox is enough'." Seeing the miko's bewildered expression, Higasuri-san smiled. "You'll see in a bit." Lifting Keade's arm, she studied the site of the puncture for a second. "Hold you arm steady, and take a deep breath. Let it out, slowly.... And there, it's out. Bend you arm and hold this, please." 

Looking down, Kaede saw a tiny drop of blood seeping though a wad of the bandaging Kagome used, and a long, slender, metal spike. Pressing her fingers to the gauze, she stared at the metal stinger, her breath caught in her chest. Kaede felt a little queasy. _That was..._ "...in me?" 

"It's alright, it is a common thing to be scared of needles. So is Kagome, that's why I did this while she was out of the room." Placing a tiny cap of something on the end of the fiendish contraption, Kagome's mother wrapped the flexible tubing around the nearly empty bag, and put the bundle in a red box. "Want to see if you can get up?" 

--- 

As she sat in Kagome's bed, Kaede marveled at what would become of her home. The self emptying chamber pot and piping in water from hot and cold springs were clear signs that the future was as advanced as Kagome had said. A single sleeping room for one person, it was nearly as large as her hut, and had more furniture. On a two story building. Kagome was of the nobility, no matter what was said; or maybe the guardians of a shrine were supported more. The tea was a little different than what she would have drank. Kagome said it was a blend with some from a place further west; in all honesty, Kaede didn't think it was as good. _At least rice hasn't changed._

Moving so she could more clearly see it out the window at the bedside, she looked over the great tree. _Even ye have changed. Taller, and ye were the tallest in my time._

A knock and a set of familiar sensations brought Kaede back to her future. "Kaede, Hoono-san is here. He is the healer who looked at you last night." 

"Come in, Kagome." Turning, Keade's eye was met by those of a stranger. _He feels like...._ "Ye are..." 

"Hello, Kaede-sama. I am Kitsumori Hoono, and I am a hanyou. Kagome told me you were a miko. I assure you, I spend more time with my human patients than my youkai ones." Pulling the chair over, he sat, assessing the patient with better than human eyes and nose. He could smell her doubt. "Inuyasha mentioned that you knew a kitsune when you were younger. That is why I may feel familiar." 

_He did? Thank you, Inuyasha._ Kagome smiled warmly as she looked between the healers. "I told you, Hoono-san, no need for a hospital. She'll be fine right here." 

"So you did, Kagome. How do you feel, Kaede-sama?" 

"A little dizzy, but I've not eaten. Coughing isn't as bad as it was when this started, but Kagome gave me some kind of syrup for that." Nose wrinkling unconsciously at the memory of the vile stuff, she nervously ran a palm over the site of the puncture. "They tell me that what ye put in my arm is normal? What of demons and infection?" 

"Kaede-sama, you are one of the most powerful miko left at this time- I know most of those here in Tokyo, and few come close to you. You could probably drop any of the demons in town as soon as you saw them, but we got rid of many of our criminals years ago. The purges did something good, anyway." Lowering his head momentarily, Hoono-san grimaced at painful memories. "As for infection, it was sterile when it went in you, and you are the only person it will every be used with. All sharps are incinerated. Anything else, before I examine you?" 

_Purges? They hunted youkai? Was it humans or youkai? And there are few miko left? What kind of time is this? Does the world go mad after I die?_ "Breathing is a little rough. And I seem short of breath." 

"All normal. This might seem a little odd." The hanyou pulled a box with a point on it from his bag, and slid it into her ear. "These are a little more reliable than the old oral thermometers, and much faster." Looking at the device, he paused to wipe it with a dampened cloth from within his bag. "A little warm, but not too bad. Now, I want to listen to your breathing." 

--- 

_A strange man, such a strange man. He must Shippou's son or grandson. That is the only way their ki could feel that similar._ "He was a friend of thy father's, ye said." 

"Yes. My father was an EMT." Kagome paused for a moment, trying to think of how to describe the concept. "He was a healer who carried people to better trained healers, and took care of them until they could get there. Like how I do when someone gets hurt- I take care of them until we return to your hut. That way there, the doctors, healers like Hoono-san, can stay in one place so people who are really hurt can find them easily. It also lets them work together, and share their tools and supplies." 

"All in one village?" 

"Kaede, this is one of the villages around Tokyo. The Tokyo area has several million people in it, and reaches from here to the ocean." 

"But that is two days walk from here, three if ye are burdened!" 

"Yes, it is." Kagome blinked, not really realizing before now just how large Tokyo was. Of course, she knew, but she didn't really understand. Three days walk was from Keade's to Mushin's, or past Sango's village. There might have been a million people in all of old Japan. "It is big. Really big." _And here I always considered it just a little part of the world. Or maybe the world has gotten smaller in five hundred years._

When she looked over, Kagome saw that her mentor had drifted back of to sleep. Smiling, she pulled the covers a little higher, and turned to her desk, to catch up on homework. About twenty pages of barely comprehensible math later, a familiar tap came at the window. Kagome opened the window, holding her finger to her lips. 

"Feh, the runt's stink is still in my nose." 

"What?" 

"Even on this side of the well, everything smells like Shippou. He must be related to that Hoono guy." _Then he would know. Shippou would know how Kagome died._ Looking over at Kaede, Inuyasha's expression softened a bit. "She wake up again?" 

"Aye, Inuyasha, I've been awake. And I've been trying to sleep." Not bothering to even open her eye, she turned her head away from the half demon. 

"Sorry Kaede." Grabbing dog boy's haroi, Kagome pulled him out into the hall, closing the door behind them. "I thought you were going to be gone for the rest of the day." 

"I was, but Kaede isn't the only sick one. Just the oldest. The woodcutter's daughter has the winter sickness." 

"Oh no. I can't bring the entire village through, someone would notice. You have the medicines in my pack." 

"Feh, of course. Miroku got them out last night. There are 25 hours in a day, right?" The directions had said every four to six hours. The monk and the huntress had figured a quarter of a day. 

Kagome looked at him like he was an idiot for a moment, then remembered there was no clocks in the past other than her wrist watch. "24- close enough. Just her?" 

"For now. People want to see Kaede, the village depends on her. If they can't have her, they know you are her student." 

"But I can't leave Kaede." _The village. They need their priestess. And if she can't go, they will still need someone. Sango is still too much of an outsider, and Miroku has angered every father and husband in the village at least once. And I know that they still tell their kids to behave, or they will be given to Inuyasha._ Shoulders slumping, Kagome lowered her head, sighing deeply. "Let me talk to Kaede and Jii-chan. Mama is at work." 

Slipping back into her room, Kagome shook Keade's shoulder gently. "Kaede? I have to go back to the village for a bit. Hotaku's daughter is sick. It looks like winter sickness. I'll need to show them that there is nothing really dangerous in my medicines, they are just different than your's. Will you be alright?" 

"Of course, child. You will be their miko one day, it is good that they should hear these things from you now. I will be fine." 

"OK. I'm going to tell Jii-chan. He's a little odd, but he's harmless. The worst that will happen is that he will try to stick an ofuda on the door." Smiling at the inside joke, Kagome went downstairs. 

Crossing the living room, she gently wrapped on her grandfather's bedroom door. "Jii-chan? Are you in there?" 

The door entered slowly, the old man sticking his face out. "Of course!" Seeing Kagome's face, and Inuyasha's restless pacing, he knew something was wrong. "What is it?" 

"I need to go back to the Sengoku Jidai. The winter sickness has spread." Catching her words for a moment, Kagome ran back over them. "The flu, it is spreading. I need to go back to check on things, but I need you to look after Kaede. Please? Just check on her every so often until I get back?" 

"Hai, I can do that." _It is good to see you acting as a shrine maiden, Kagome._

"Thank you, Jii-chan. I'll be back as soon as I can." 

--- 

Less than hour later, Jii-chan made his way upstairs. Pausing, he knocked on the door. "Kaede-sama?" 

"Come in." The sight that greeted her was not quite the one she expected. Everyone she had met was tall, even Hoono who she felt was probably short for this time. But this man, he was her height. Old and rounded, he was her age, with a long beard the colour of a freshly tempered sword blade. "Hello, yea must Kagome's Jii-chan." 

"Hai. Is there anything you need?" 

"No." Coughing briefly, Kaede had to pause. "Kagome tells me that you watch after the shrine now. It looks different." 

"It has changed over the years. There was a bad quake, about three hundred years ago, that damaged a number of the old shrine's structures. Then part of it burned in the war, about fifty years ago." Sitting on the chair at the bedside, Jii-chan leaned forward slightly. "Now, few people come." 

_Shrines are not used? Attacked in war? Oh, Kami, the world has gone mad._

--- 

Author's notes:   
I hate needles. One of my best friends is a phlebotomist (professional vampire), and she would have to pull a gun on me to get me to not whine with a needle in the room. 

And yes, Kaede, the world does go mad after you died. 


	8. Time Enough: Chapter 6

Time Enough (Chapter 5)   
by Iron Raven   
editorial assistance by Lachesis-chan 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama. I've got no idea what Mama does, or did, nor what Kagome's Otou-san did. Or even if he is dead. Hopefully we find out some day. Hotaku and his ancestors are mine. 

--- 

"Please, Hotaku, listen to me. Kaede-sama is sick, just like your daughter. I know about this illness. My people's medicine can control it as well as Kaede's, and better." Fists curled in frustration, Kagome stood outside the woodcutter's hut, trying to stare down the much larger man. 

"They are strange. No one has ever seen anything like them." Nervously glancing at the white haired demon at the young woman's side, he fought the urge to shake a fist in Kagome's face. "How do I know it's safe?" 

"Feh! Kaede is using Kagome's medicines, ain't that good enough for ya? She just needs to sleep, or she'd be telling you the same thing." Blowing a loose strand of hair from his face, Inuyasha readjusted the arms he had crossed across his chest, while he balanced impossibly on the end of Hotaku's adz handle, the head driven into a log that was being cut into planks to replace part of a shed that had given out in the recent snows. 

"Kaede-sama is really that sick?" 

"Yes, Hotaku. That is why I'm taking care of people right now. She just needs sleep and warmth for a few days. She may be a miko, but this affects old people the worst." 

"Someone says that the demon was seen running into the night last night, carrying you and Kaede-sama. Maybe she's dead, and you are hiding it." Puffing his chest out, he glared at Inuyasha in pure challenge. After the miko and the headman, the woodcutter was one of the most respected in the village. He was the one who knew the forests better than all but the demon, and it was his axe that provided much of the village's warmth. And his father had been left fatherless before his fifth year, when the hanyou destroyed the old temple, trying to steal the Shikon no Tama. 

_Oh, no._ Brushing blown snow from her hair, Kagome thought for a moment. "We took her to my people to be sure of what this is. That's all." Smiling as sweetly as she could, she turned to face Inuyasha. "We brought her home this morning, didn't we, Inuyasha? It wasn't easy, chasing Shippou out of the hut so she could sleep." 

"Huh?" _Kagome, what are you talking about. The old bat is still in your time._ "Feh, the brat is probably in there now, making trouble." 

Smirking, Hotaku bounced slightly on the balls of his feet. "Fine, then let me see her." 

"Alright. Just let me go in first to make sure she is ready to see people." Turning on her toe, she trudged through the snow, leaving the haughty man to catch up. "Inuyasha, make sure Shippou isn't bothering Kaede, and that she's ok, please? If he's there, I need to talk to him." 

"Feh. Whatever." _What are you talking about? Kaede is in your time. And why do you keep mentioning Shippou?_ For him, it only took a few seconds to reach Keade's hut. Within, Shippou was drawing absently, while Miroku warmed his still sensitive hands by the fire. 

"Kagome-san, no one saw Kaede return this morning." Having recovered from having his bluff called, Hotaku had caught up with her, and was matching her step for step. 

"That only means no one saw Inuyasha bringing her home." They continued on their way in silence. As they reached Kaede's hut, she paused. "Let me go in first, to make sure it's alright." 

--- 

"Yea are telling me that yea honestly believe that THAT would work? Chicken feet and dog hair? To keep out locust youkai?" 

"It is not traditional, but others have had it work well enough that it should be tried." Crossing his arms defiantly, Jii-chan straightened as much as his back would let him. "And how would you keep them out?" 

"Not with chicken feet and dog hair." Snorting in exasperation, Kaede glared at the man before her. "Any proper ward will work, even if it is naught but ofuda made with plain ink on poles through the crop. I've been a miko for over forty years! I know what would work!" 

"And I have collected the works of magicians and wizards from all over the world, going back five hundred years! And they all say you use chicken feet and, or dog hair to improve magical inks!" 

"Crazy old man!" 

"Stubborn old woman!" 

--- 

"I'm going, I'm going. Foolish wench." Glaring back at the door that had slammed behind him, Inuyasha shook his head angrily. "Get in there! You wanted to see her." 

Carefully trying to stay as far away from the angered demon as he could, Hotaku mounted the steps and slowly opened the door. "Lady Kaede?" 

Coughing, Kaede waved him into the hut. "Hai, Hotaku. Inuyasha says you think I am dead." 

_I did._ "No, my lady. It is just disconcerting to not have you with us in our time of need." If he'd had a hat, the woodcutter would have been holding it in his hands. Instead, he wrung his hands, looking at the old miko and her student, their houshi ally also in the hut with them. _Three holy people, the Kami must be watching._

Shifting, Miroku looked up from the bottle of the medicine he had wanted to use with Hotaku's daughter. Had been using, until the man smelt it. It did smell funny, almost unnatural. From what Kagome had said, and the way her medicines had worked in the past, he had as much faith in this as he did in herbs from Kaede or any other herbalist. "Eventually, she won't be able to be with us. That is why she is training Kagome. Have you ever known Lady Kagome to harm anyone? Her magic is different, but it is strong." 

Shuffling his feet, Hotaku looked from monk to miko to miko. "No, we know Kagome-sama's heart is pure. It's just not what we are used to." 

"It is alright be nervous around new things, Hotaku." A coughing fit cut off the old woman's speech. "But not to let that stop you from seeing change." 

"Kaede's herbs are effective against winter sickness. But my medicines are at least as effective against it. It is a common sickness where I come from." Passing her mentor a clean scrap of fabric, Kagome stood and walked to the older man. "Please, let Miroku tend to your daughter. I have things I must take care of with my people. I need to make sure I have what I need for this village, just in case. Let him give her the medicine, and keep her in doors. Keep her away from people as much as possible, and give her plenty to drink. And tell us if you are unwell." 

"I will, Lady Kagome. I'm sorry, Lady Kaede." Bowing, he then turned to the monk. "My apologies, Houshi-sama. If you would please follow me." 

The two men left the hut in silence. Only after the door shut, and she counted to fifty, did Kagome allow herself to breath normally. "It worked." 

Slipping from under the blankets, Kaede giggled as she hugged Kagome from behind, her tail twitching. "And Inuyasha said it wouldn't." 

"Thank you, Shippou. Remember, this isn't a game. Kaede is very sick. I didn't know what else to do." Turning to face the kit in his true form, she smiled. "You were very convincing. Here, I brought these for you." Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out a bag of hard candies. "Share them with Miroku and Sango." 

"I will. And if anyone needs to see that Kaede is still alive, I'll be here. I'll send a duplicate past them so they can see me, to." Grinning at his adopted mother, Shippou's eyes shown with pride with his own cleverness. 

"Good idea, Shippou. Just be careful with them." Looking up the roof, Kagome raised her voice a little. "Inuyasha, come in here." 

The dog boy's voice came from outside the front door. "Feh!" 

"Inuyasha, are you off the porch?" 

Inuyasha glared at the door. "Yea, why?" _Stupid wench. You got lucky._

"I told you it would work. Sit boy!" Shippou giggled at the muffled curses outside the door. "Shippou, be good. I've got to check on the villagers. Remember, if anyone knocks, use Kaede's voice to ask who it is. And don't let them see your tail, stay under the blankets." 

--- 

"Well, no, my ofuda don't seem to work very well." Jii-chan blushed slightly. "They don't stop Inuyasha, and they didn't stop the Noh demon, but they do seem to stop other things." 

"That is because yea did not charge them." Glancing across the living room, she studied the scrolls on the doorway. "Yea draw them beautifully, but they are unfinished." 

"Unfinished?" _But I followed the directions in the books exactly._

"Aye. Is this something else yea learned from your scrolls?" Seeing him nod, she reached to lift her mug of tea from the table. "May I see these instructions." 

"Hai. I have a couple of sets, but I think only one really works." Shuffling into his bedroom, Jii-chan pulled several binders and books from his shelves. They were all reproductions of ancient tombs and copies of scrolls to delicate to ever hold again. Some he had bought, translations of gaijin magical texts, a few were traditional Japanese lore, while others he had copied from his own research. Returning to the living room, he set them on the table, and sat on the floor on the side next her's. "Here it is," flipping though a well worn binder, he found the method he thought was most accurate, "it is said this is from a Youkai Taijya miko from about your time, maybe a little earlier. It is said to have shielded those within from harm." 

Slowly reading the very strange scroll, Kaede squinted at the characters before her. "This is a rite used in the making of their armour. See, here..." Holding the papers so he could read, she traced it with her finger. "Yea have seen them rejoin after being torn, haven't yea." 

"Hai." _I am an old fool. They are right, nothing but a crazy old man._

"Who taught yea?" Looking at the titles along the edges of the folding scrolls, she found references to dynasties she recognized, and others with strange, alien sounding names. _Rebai? Jones? What kind of names are those?_

"No one. I could always sense demons, every where. They are all around us. I learned about miko from history class, and I started to research them." Sighing bitterly, he looked at the stately, one-eyed woman at his side. "So I am just a crazy old fool, aren't I?" 

"Yea are not. Yea have the gift, not as strongly as Kagome, but yea have it." _He will never be as strong as she is. But it is not fair that he should loose his path because he had no sensei._ "Show me the other types of wards yea have found." Sipping her tea, she smiled at him. "And thank yea for inviting this stubborn old woman down here. It is nay as warm, but is more comfortable to these old bones to be on a proper floor." 

--- 

Trudging through a drift, Kagome looked over at her friend. "How are your feet, Sango?" 

"They don't hurt as much as they did yesterday. I know it will never go away." Smiling at the young miko, Sango's eyes flicked to the hanyou on a nearby roof top. "So what do you think of your first day as a village miko? Everything you expected?" 

Groaning, Kagome nodded. "And more. How does Kaede do it? It seems like everyone needs her attention. Especially the kids." Turning her collar up a little more, she followed Sango's eyes, and smiled at Inuyasha. "Still, it's good to know I can do more than find jewel shards." 

_This brings back memories...._ He scratched behind an ear to hide the shake of his head. _Kikyou was a better miko. But she was born into it. Kagome has learned so much so fast..._ He watched the two girls, his heart aching as he remembered the times he had done this with Kikyou. Kikyou had never complained, but she had also never looked forward to this. Kagome, despite her grumbling, was enjoying herself. She smiled and laughed and talked with the people. Kikyou had always held herself a little bit away, part of the village but not a member. Kagome, despite her strange ideas and clothes, was becoming a member of the village, even though she wasn't always a part of it. The ache got less and less as he realized that. Inuyasha's own voice surprised him when his thoughts slipped out. "_This_ test matters, Kagome." 

--- 

Author's note:   
In most agrarian societies, the woodcutter was an important person. Yes, other people cut fire wood and cleared land, but the woodcutter was also a woodsman and hunter. A forester, if you will. He knew the wilderness and it's ways, which trees were sick and those that were healthy. If land needed to cleared, his advise would have been taken quite seriously, at least if the lord or headman had a brain. If animals came around, he knew them, how to deal with them. If there is no member of that culture's warrior-class within a village, the woodsman was often called upon to organize any defense in case of bandits or marauders. (Although hunting weapons and techniques against trained soldiers with weapons optimized for killing humans, and used to working as team, doesn't always work very well. But you try.) Hotaku would be a very important man in the village, nearly as important in some ways to Kaede or the headman (whom we have never seen). 

As for the man's hate, watch the 1st episode. The temple blew out, and there are good odds that at least one of the four guys who burst in just before hand would have died, and the rest of them would have been scared badly. Being an orphan in Feudal Japan would have been rough, from a social standing point of view. And in a feudal society with that kind of honor system, that would be socially crippling. As for age, if his daughter is around 10ish, then she would have been born when he was in his early 20s, and Hotaku would have been born when his father was the same age, so it is possible. 

Oh, and an adz is something you use to make boards and planks if you are doing it all by hand. It looks kinda like an axe with the cutting edge turned 90 degrees, but there are some serious shaping differences, and it is actually swung TOWARDS you. Without practice, you could kill or cripple yourself easily. 

I also couldn't resist Kaede and Jii-chan arguing over taumaturgical matters. She's feeling better. :) And I'm not convinced Jii-chan is nuts, I think he's just untrained. And it looks like something is going to be done about that. 

**Ribai:** This is how Levi would translate. 


End file.
